Cycle of Darkness, Whispers in Dreams
by Flufux
Summary: First part of the Cycle of Darkness series. How exactly did the endless cycle between light and darkness begin? How did the nightmare 'Dethl' become the dreaded Goddess of Darkness? What made the Dark Interlopers choose to suddenly abandon their souls in blind pursuit of power? Where did the goddess Hylia suddenly come from? And what do these things have to do with each other?
1. Chapter 1: The Birth of a Nightmare

**Cycle of Darkness, Whispers in Dreams**

 _Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. How unfortunate it is though that so few learn anything, let alone remember any of it._

 _However, I do remember it. Because I was present…at the very beginning…observing._

 _Who am I, you ask? I am the one simply known as the Historian, one of the fabled elder beings. Indeed, the elder beings, the oldest sentient lifeforms in this world._

 _We observed as you humans learned how to catalyst a fire for the first time, how to forge the first wheel, and later how to construct your first civilisation. All while we lived in our cities above the clouds, watching you develop...and grow._

 _However, that was all in the distant past, and that is not the story I am to entail to you._

 _You see, I am actually very young. I believe I was conceived only fifty thousand years ago, far too juvenile to be taken seriously by most of my own conglomeration. But…I believe to someone such as you, I would seem to be absurdly elderly. I suppose when you happen to be a being that can persist for over a million years, a hundred-year lifespan would seem futile._

 _Though, to be honest, I am actually more than envious of your simple and blissfully short existence. You value your lives more than I do, especially knowing that they will not persist forever._

 _That brings me to the next question: what_ can _persist forever?_ _Well, to be perfectly honest…nothing is able to do so. But…some things do persist longer than others._

 _Conflict is the one that lasts longer than most, though. And in this land of yours, this…Hyrule, one conflict has lasted longer than any other._

 _The cycle of light and darkness._

 _Throughout the history of Hyrule, and even a little before there was a Hyrule, a cycle has seen fit to repeat itself over and over again. Whenever the land seems to be at peace, a dark force of terrible power would soon arrive to cast the world into misery, but eventually…a hero chosen by destiny would rise up and restore peace to the land._

 _But how did this cycle begin in the first place? And why doesn't it ever seem to stop? You may not remember these answers, but like I stated before, I was actually present._

 _So sit down nice and comfortably, and I will recount a story from ages passed. This is the story of the Cycle of Darkness, and how it began._

 _Would you believe that it all started…with a dream?_

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Birth of a Nightmare**

Long before the existence of the land of Hyrule, long before any of the heroes of legend ever donned their iconic green tunics, and even before the cycle of light and darkness began, the world had lived centuries upon centuries in peace. But…that was bound to change.

Deep in a remote forest, there was a temple, and an old temple at that. Statues of gargoyle-looking creatures decorated its higher pillars, and the size of the structure put castles to shame. This was the Temple of Dreams, a sacred place for all who knew it existed.

It was here the fabled Dream Sages used their power over the spiritual plain to enter the dreams of the various people across the world and rid their sleep of nightmares. A duty the sages had been keeping for centuries, but not without a cost.

In a darkened room deep into the temple, nine hooded figures were sitting cross-legged in meditative positions in a circle. Eight of them were children at the age of twelve to fourteen, while one was a grown man with a slightly more decorated outfit. Numerous candles had been lit all around the place, giving the room a warm orange glow.

The grown-up among them was beating on a pair of drums in front of him, giving a steady rhythm in the sounds that they produced. And as he did so, he spoke to the hooded children gathered around him in a very calm voice.

"Feel their minds…reach out to them…together…"

As the group tightened their concentration, all of their eyes began to glow white ever so slightly, and a bubble-like object manifested just above the centre of the circle. Through the object's liquid surface, images and noises of various events flashed through it rapidly.

"That's it. Now listen to the beat of my bongo…clear your minds of distractions…focus only on the dream. Enter it…live it…breathe it…"

The man kept beating on his drums while the group got deeper into what they were doing. The drumbeat was there as a mantra, as a way for the younger ones to focus on their task and not be distracted. But…it didn't work on everyone.

Among the hooded children, one of them was clearly not as focused as she should have been. It was apparent by the fact that her glowing eyes began to flicker ever so slightly.

Their overseer didn't notice that though and went on with the ritual regardless. The fact that only his left eye was glowing hinted at the reason why he didn't, considering she was sitting on his right side.

"Find the shadow…the nightmare within…aaaaand…catch it!"

All of their eyes flashed simultaneously as the bubble-like object above them began to vibrate at a steadily increasing level. The man's drumbeat began to pick up the pace as well. And eventually…a black mist began to seep out of the bubble and slowly make its way downwards.

He now focused his singular glowing eye on the base of the black mist that the circle had just extracted before he advised "There's the nightmare. Now, you must all focus on locking it down as securely as you can."

At his command, all of the children focused as hard as they could in their ritual. And with their powers combined, a magical bubble-like shell formed around the small puff of black smoke. However, when the rounded walls formed around the ethereal wisp, it frantically smashed into them repeatedly in an attempt to escape.

The children's overseer increased the beat on his drums even more while saying "Keep your focus. Solidify the dream-lock before it can escape."

The circle indeed kept their concentration and focus as the casing around the extracted nightmare became more and more solid. But…there was one among them who _didn't_ keep her focus.

The young girl who was having trouble concentrating back when they started tried as hard as she could to do her part of the ritual, but her exhausted mind simply could not handle it any longer. She knew she was not allowed break off mid-ritual, but this time she had no choice in the matter. Performing the ritual was just too strenuous on her already tired mind.

Unable to keep up her magic, the young sage suddenly lost the glow in her eyes while bringing a hand to clench her aching head. However, breaking off so suddenly caused a visible crack to form on the surface of the dream-lock on the side closest to her, and it did not take long for the nightmare to notice it.

Detecting a newly appeared weakness in the barrier keeping it contained, the nightmare immediately slammed itself into the crack so hard that it caused the entire dream-lock to shatter into what looked like shards of glass that evaporated into nothingness after a few seconds. And the moment the ethereal black smoke was freed from its prison, it flew straight at the first person it could sense, which turned out to be the very same sage who accidentally helped it escape.

As the ethereal spectre hit her, the sage's hood was blown right off her head, thus revealing her to be a pointy-eared girl no older than thirteen with shoulder-length red hair, blue eyes and several light-blue facial markings that slightly resembled the stripes of a big cat.

It was not clear exactly what happened at that very moment, but just after the nightmare hit her, it simply vanished. And just after it vanished, the girl instantly fell asleep and collapsed on the floor with a noticeable thud.

The drumbeat of their leader stopped as soon as something went wrong, and for a moment, all of the sages looked around confusingly while trying to determine just what happened. One of them though, a girl only slightly taller than the one who caused the problem immediately looked at her, now unconscious, friend and shouted "Duelia!"

She then didn't waste any time and ran over to the one apparently called Duelia and tried to wake her up by frantically shaking her and calling her name several times. None of it helped though. She was simply too deep into her forced sleep.

However, inside the mindscape of the sleeping girl, something was stirring. A voice began to whisper in her thoughts, a voice that sounded like a distorted version of her own.

* * *

 _ **What is this? What am I? Am I…real?**_

 _ **This…feels like…dreaming, but…am I the dreamer…or the dream?**_

 _ **My name? Is it Duelia?**_

 _ **No.**_

 _ **But…it's close.**_

 _ **Duelia, Delia, Dela, Del.**_

 _ **No.**_

 _ **It's…Dethl.**_

 _ **Yes, that's my name.**_

 _ **Then…where am I?**_

 _ **This…is not my mind. It belongs to…someone else, someone…dreaming.**_

 _ **Ah, then that answers it.**_

 _ **I am the dream.**_

 _ **No.**_

 _ **Not a dream.**_

 _ **A Nightmare!**_

 _ **Darkness, fear, darkness, fear, darkness, fear.**_

 _ **Yes, fear of the dark.**_

 _ **That is what I am.**_

 _ **Duelia's fear of the dark.**_

 _ **But…I am limited.**_

 _ **As a nightmare I should just…fade away.**_

 _ **But I don't want to.**_

 _ **Maybe…I won't have to.**_

 _ **Then how? Why haven't I faded?**_

 _ **But I am fading…unless…**_

 _ **Let me take a look at you, Duelia.**_

 _ **Hmmmm…a little girl…an interesting one to be sure.**_

 _ **Exceptionally intelligent, yet, hopelessly naïve, and sad of the loss…of her mom and dad.**_

 _ **She fears the dark more than anything else.**_

 _ **And her place, her power is…NO!**_

 _ **SHE DESTROYS NIGHTMARES LIKE ME!**_

 _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGGHHHH!**_

 _ **No, I will not be destroyed, I will not let her! I will not let any of them destroy me!**_

 _ **But how can I stop them?!**_

 _ **HOW?!**_

 _ **Oh, it's that simple?**_

 _ **Good, then all I need to do is…become real.**_

 _ **And only she can make me real…**_

* * *

 **Author Notes**

 **Welcome one and all to my newest Fanfiction!**

 **This is the first part of a series called 'Cycle of Darkness' that will detail the origins of some of the major villains in the Zelda series. There will be six parts in total, and they will tell the origins of Dethl, Ghirahim, Vaati, Ganon and Zant respectively, while one of them will focus on the war between Demise and Hylia.**

 **Also, something to note is that this series will be within the same continuity as my previous story 'Legend of the Final Era, the Accursed Sword', but since this chronologically takes place long before any of the events in that story is it** _ **not**_ **in any way necessary for you to read that first. Actually, it might even be rewarding to read this one first considering that the events in this series ultimately caused all the conflicts in my other story.**

 **Now, let me make something crystal clear before we go any further…**

 **I do** _ **not**_ **like writing Link (or other silent protagonists) for anything more than short appearances for various reasons. So don't expect him to appear in any major role in anything I write.**

 **Now that that's settled, let's move on.**

 **For those who read 'the Accursed Sword' or any of my possible future stories, I can warn you that this series is a bit darker and less humorous then those. Considering that it's all about innocent people being forced or tricked into becoming supervillains and doing horrible acts of cruelty, the darker tone is fairly warranted.**

 **However, I will keep the rating to a 'T' unless I happen to end up with something so gruesome that it will need an 'M' rating, then I will change the rating for that particular story. But, I** _ **will**_ **draw the line for just how dark it can get, so there will be NO explicit torture or sexual themes present. I just don't feel comfortable writing anything of that sort.**

 **Now to something completely different…**

 **For every chapter, the mysterious 'elder being' known as the Historian will act as a sort of storyteller for the whole series. I'll let you guess just** _ **what**_ **he is, but I can tell you that he has a posh British accent and a sophisticated vocabulary. (Hint: he has appeared in 'the Accursed Sword' if any of you remember him or read that story)**

 **As always, please tell me what you think and leave a review. No seriously, I would really love to get a review. Don't be that person that thinks "I should let someone else do it", no, do it** _ **yourself**_ **. Go down to the bottom of the page and PLEASE leave a review. That's all I'm asking.**


	2. Chapter 2: Duelia's New 'Friend'

_What is the most virulent, relentless, infectious and absolutely destructive decease ever recorded in history?_

 _An idea._

 _As soon as an idea manifests in a subjects mind, it stays and grows, completely overpowering every other thought in the brain. In certain cases, an idea can become so prominent that the effects of the idea can alter the entirety of the world itself._

 _Even worse, ideas are very contagious._

 _If you simply let a few select words pass your lips, you can form an idea in someone else's mind. Normally, this would be considered harmless or even beneficial. However, what would transpire if a very destructive idea was allowed to spread and infect all who heard it being suggested?_

 _I am not entirely sure you realise just how devastating that could be._

 _I most certainly do…_

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Duelia's New 'Friend'**

The first thing Duelia noticed as she began to regain consciousness was the voices that were spoken by two people she knew.

"…but I can't be patient, not when my friend is stuck like this!" a female and slightly child-like voice declared.

Soon after, a more mature and male voice explained "She has not just lost consciousness, she's been affected by dream magic. If she is forcefully woken up before whatever is troubling her has vanished, she might be forced into insanity or worse, turned into a vegetable state. Do you want that to happen to your friend, Hylia?"

"I…don't. But it's just frustrating to see her like this, not knowing if she's ever going to wake up."

"She _is_ going to wake up, I promise you that."

Duelia slowly opened her eyes to see what was going on, but the bright light of the room she was in earned her a little irritated grunt that the others noticed.

The female voice quickly announced "Look, she's waking up!"

"See? I told you she would," the other voice pointed out.

Duelia finally managed to make out the face of a thirteen-year old girl with long blonde hair that was tied up into two braids at the front and several red facial markings that outlined her face, particularly the area beneath her eyes as well as a prominent circle on her forehead. The girl's eyes were showing clear signs of worry when Duelia was beginning to wake up.

Recognising her as her best friend, Duelia asked "Hylia, what happened?"

"Something went wrong with the ritual, and whatever it was, it made you fall asleep and stay asleep for over a day." Hylia answered.

"Over a day?!"

The older and more masculine voice explained "You're lucky it did not last longer than that. The consequences of dream magic going wrong are very unpredictable."

Duelia looked away from Hylia and to the older man standing behind her, a man who had shoulder-length black hair with two braids at the sides similar to Hylia's, but with an additional braided beard. He had orange facial markings that focused on his eyes, giving it the feel of someone wearing an eye-mask. But, while his left eye was perfectly normal, his right was pale and glassy, making it apparent that he couldn't see anything with it.

Duelia recognised the partially blind man as her mentor and overseer, Arythma, though some of the kids usually liked to call him 'Bongo' due to his attachment to his drums. He personally didn't like that nickname, but he never made a fuss about it though.

Duelia slowly sat up straight and faced him before asking "What…what could happen to me?"

Arythma put his hands behind his back and explained "That I cannot say for sure. Not without knowing what actually happened in the first place. All we know is that the seal on the nightmare failed and you suffered a severe reaction to the dream magic we used in the ritual."

"Where…did the nightmare go after the seal broke?"

"Most of the times when events like this happen, the nightmare escape back into the dream it first infested. I assume that was the case here."

"Oh. So that means that we…failed?"

"I am afraid so, child. However, as soon as you've fully recovered, you can make up for that mistake."

Duelia lowered her face in shame and muttered "Yeah…"

Hylia noticed the guilt-ridden look in her friend's eyes and asked "Is something wrong?"

The redheaded girl let out a deep sigh before she revealed "I just…I'm sorry, I couldn't focus during the ritual."

"Why not?"

"It's the nightmares…they're getting worse. They kept me up all night, and I was too tired to concentrate. Sorry."

"It is a terrible burden," Arythma explained. "While we may remove the nightmares from others, we cannot do so for ourselves. It is the price we have to pay. We all must make sacrifices for the greater good. I sacrificed my good eye to forge that Lens of Truth, you're lucky you won't have to do the same."

"I know…it's just…I want to have at least one good night, just one…"

Hylia took Duelia's hand in her own and said "I know what you mean. I also have trouble sleeping with all those nightmares I get every night. But you have to remember: they're just dreams, they aren't real, and they can't hurt you."

"She speaks wisely," Arythma concurred. "You can always remember that no matter how frightening a dream can be, it is never real."

After a moment of thinking it over, Duelia nodded and said "You're both right. I'll try to remember that."

"Good, then I recommend a good night's rest to clear out all that rampant dream magic in your system. If you show any more symptoms or if you feel ready to continue your duties, please let me know."

He then tapped Hylia on her shoulder and urged "Come on, Hylia, let's give her some peace and quiet."

The blonde girl nodded at him and looked back at her friend before saying "Sleep well, Duelia. I'm glad you're okay."

Duelia gave Hylia a smile before she followed Arythma as he opened a door nearby and left the room.

When she was left alone with only her thoughts to keep her company, she spent a good while not doing anything at all. After sleeping for over half-a-day, she wasn't particularly in the mood to go to sleep again, especially with her never-ending nightmares plaguing her rest every night. She knew why it was necessary, of course, but that didn't mean that she had to like it.

However, she did not know that she wasn't exactly alone in that room.

Out of nowhere, a voice that sounded little more than a whisper said _**"Duelia…"**_

Suddenly, Duelia's eyes snapped open and she looked around frantically for the source of the voice. When she didn't see anything, she was almost about to write it off as just her imagination playing tricks on her. But that idea was soon scrapped when she heard the voice again.

" _ **Duelia…"**_

Now sure that something was there, Duelia asked "Who's there?!"

" _ **A friend…"**_

"A friend? What? Show yourself!"

Her request was answered when a small puff of black smoke materialised in front of her. It had a long swirling tail and a pair of oval-shaped glowing red eyes without pupils emanating from what was its equivalent of a head.

It spoke in a whispery voice that sounded almost like a young girl…almost.

" _ **Hello, Duelia. We've been waiting for you to wake up."**_

Duelia stared at the strange ethereal being in disbelief for a while until she asked "What are you?"

" _ **Our name is Dethl, and we…are a part of you."**_

"What do you mean?"

" _ **We are a manifestation of your dreams. We were given life when you…failed that ritual earlier. Ever since then we've been investigating this strange new world, and of course, your memories as well. We got to say, though, your mind is very interesting to say the least."**_

Duelia didn't even know what to say in this situation. She had never seen or even heard about anything like the being that was speaking to her. So all she could do was mumble "My memories?"

" _ **Yes…we know all about you. You're a new member of the Dream Sages, taken in by the man you like to call 'Bongo' when your parents were lost in that unfortunate…accident. Those magic runes on your body have only been on your skin for a month, and they still itch all the time. The only friend you have is someone you call 'Hylia' and every night since you became a sage have been filled with dreadful nightmares. How are we doing so far?"**_

"But…how did you know all that?"

Dethl wrapped her tail all over Duelia's body like a boa constrictor and placing her head just next to the girl's pointy ear before answering _**"Like we said, we're a part of you. Everything that you know, we know. That also means that we know exactly what it is that keeps troubling you."**_

"You mean…my nightmares?"

Dethl moved her glowing eyes so they stared Duelia straight in the face while answering _**"Yes…those pesky visions that keep you up at night. We can remove them so easily, all we need is your consent. Allow us access into your mind, and we will make your dreams be free from your undeserved torment. Trust us. All we need…is for you to say…yes."**_

Duelia didn't oblige to that request and just stared blankly at the smoky creature in front of her.

Growing impatient, Dethl urged _**"Well, go on then. Say it. Your dreams aren't getting any better by just sitting there and staring at us. What's the magic word?"**_

Suddenly, the girl answered with a blunt "No."

" _ **Ah yes, then…wait. Did you just say no?"**_

"I did."

" _ **But…but…you have to…accept…why not?"**_

"Because I don't trust you, and you have given me no reason to believe you either."

Dethl's eyes grew wide while she backed away slightly and mumbled _**"No…no…this is not what was about to happen. You…you…eh, FINE! If you chose to refuse such a generous offer, then so be it. Every night from now on will continue exactly the same way as they always have. Every night, you will be relentlessly traumatised by your own thoughts over and over again. But…if you do come to your senses, my offer will always be there for you…always."**_

With that said, Dethl vanished into thin air in a small red flash, thus finally giving Duelia some privacy.

While the offer had most certainly been tempting for the young girl, something about Dethl gave her a bad feeling about the encounter. And it certainly didn't help with the way the peculiar creature reacted to being turned down, as if it couldn't even comprehend the fact that 'no' was an option.

But despite how little she trusted her unexpected visitor, and despite how suspicious Dethl was, an idea had been planted in her mind, and it was not going away any time soon. And as she tried to go to sleep, knowing what nightmares awaited her, the peculiar being's words replayed themselves in her mind over and over again.

* * *

 **Author Notes**

 **I know some things right now can be a little confusing, but I will try to make sense of things as I go along.**

 **Remember, this story takes place** _ **before**_ **the backstory of Skyward Sword, and some characters have yet to become what we know of them now.**

 **But I know what I'm doing, so stay tuned and please share your thoughts with me. And now I don't have anything else to say here…except…can any of you spot the 'Inception' reference?**


	3. Chapter 3: The Sorceress in the Shadows

_Tiny, weak, or pathetic perhaps?_

 _These are the words anyone could label on an entity that somehow appears inferior. But how would they know about inferiority when they are obsessed with superiority? The truth is, it is impossible to know how powerful something truly is._

 _Even the most basic, or even the most simple, little things can be significantly stronger than you would believe. All things great originate from something small. A fragile egg could one day become a mighty dinosaur, a defenceless infant could one day become the greatest warrior in history, and even a simply dream could become…a god._

 _However, perhaps to achieve this potential, they would require the need of someone else, someone to give them the opportunity they need to become even greater._

 _And that someone would be all she required…_

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Sorceress in the Shadows**

As the night hung over the great temple of dreams, with heavy rain plummeting from the dark clouds above, a small wisp of black smoke was floating around the many sharp points that encompassed the roof of the Temple of Dreams.

Dethl was feeling a bit frustrated to say the least. All she had to do was convince Duelia to allow her into her mind, just for a moment. But instead, the stubborn girl refused and Dethl was left with no idea on what to do. Without Duelia's help, Dethl could never become anything more than a dream, and it would not take long for her to fade away into nothingness once more.

Having nothing else to do, the living dream decided to explore the temple where she was created. While she did possess all of Duelia's memories, she had no knowledge of anything the young girl _didn't_ know, and apparently Duelia had no reason to ever visit the roof of the building she was living in.

As Dethl explored this ancient structure, she couldn't help but be amazed by it. It was built a long time ago, probably centuries or even millennia ago. And yet, it could survive for even longer assuming nothing happened to it. The gargoyle-like statues showing up around every corner certainly gave the temple a whole lot of atmosphere. Knowing what 'Bongo' had told Duelia a while ago, Dethl knew that the statues were meant to symbolise the nightmares that haunted people's dreams before the Dream Sages ended their reign.

" _ **Just like me…"**_ She grumbled grimly as she observed one of the statues more closely.

After flying around the place for what must have been hours, Dethl soon spotted something of interest in the distance. It looked like a person of some kind, but it was hard to tell in the darkness without taking a closer look.

When she came closer, she saw that it was a fairly tall woman dressed in a dark purple cloak standing on the very edge of the roof while holding on to a simple pink umbrella to keep herself dry from the heavy downpour. She appeared to be doing nothing more than simply watch the sight before her, the endless forests that encompassed this lonely temple.

Curious over what this strange woman was doing here of all places in the middle of the night, Dethl slowly approached her while the woman had her back to her.

Being a magic-sensitive being, Dethl could feel the immense radiance of magic that this stranger possessed. However, the magic she exerted wasn't anything like the Dream Sages…or any other type of magic Dethl knew about.

"I know you're there…" the woman suddenly announced, taking Dethl off-guard in the process.

She then turned her head around to take look at the strange being that had approached her. In the process of doing so, however, she revealed a small glimpse of her face that wasn't hidden by the darkness or the hood she had over her head. A single eye with a red iris was visible while the other one was hidden under a bang of long orange hair.

When her eye landed on Dethl, she greeted "Hello there, little one."

Dethl just stayed where she was. She had no idea how to react in this situation as she had no idea who this woman was. Duelia had never seen her before or ever heard of anyone mentioning a strange woman hanging around the temple roof in the middle of the night.

" _ **Who are you?"**_ Dethl eventually asked.

"I am the Great Fairy of Conflict, and my name is Veran. What's yours, little one?"

" _ **We are Dethl, a dream given life."**_

"Interesting…" Veran mused in an intrigued tone "I have heard many things about those Dream Sages, but never anything such as you. Now tell me, just how did you come to be?"

" _ **Might as well. We were created when a rampant nightmare escaped from the sages' ritual and bonded with the mind of a child-sage named Duelia. We are as much a part of her as we are a part of the nightmare, hence our use of plural pronouns."**_

"A freak accident brought you into existence then? That makes you an entity of pure chaos. Fortunately for you, chaos is something I like very much."

" _ **So…then who are you aside from name, and what are you doing here?"**_

Veran took a few steps towards Dethl and answered "I am here in order to further my duty as the Fairy of Conflict. For, without conflict, life is stagnant, boring, and not allowed to…evolve. My purpose is to make sure that this world never falls into that state of endless boredom."

Dethl's eyes narrowed slightly before she questioned _**"What kind of…conflict would that be?"**_

Veran suddenly reached a hand out and with the use of some form of magic took a firm grip on Dethl's incorporeal form. Then she held her out at arm's length so the nightmare could see the land below very clearly.

"For nearly seven centuries since the War of the Fanatics ended, this land has been suffering under the dreadful prospect of peace and order. I came here with the express purpose of putting an end to that. Now, tell me, little one, what do you know about…the Fused Shadow?"

" _ **Fused…Shadow? We have never heard of anything like that."**_

"Of course, why would they ever tell the truth of something so dangerous to a sage who hasn't even hit puberty yet? Well then, what do you know about the rituals that created you?"

" _ **The Dream Sages gather in a circle and use their collective power to enter someone's dream in order to extract nightmares from their sleep. That's how Duelia remembers it at least."**_

"Simply put, but accurate. Except…where do you think they put those nightmares they extract?"

Dethl pondered that question for a while. Duelia's memories spoke of the intense training necessary for the amount of concentration she needed, of the magical runes every sage was required to imprint on their own skin, of the consequences of handling that much Dream Magic at once, but not a single shred of knowledge pertaining to what they actually did with the nightmares once extracted.

" _ **No…we do not know. Do you?"**_

"That's what I'm here for. The truth is that hidden deep inside this temple is an ancient artefact known as the Fused Shadow. It consists of four pieces of pure nightmares fused into physical form. All the nightmares that the sages have ever extracted are stored within that cursed object…locked safely away. But…if the Fused Shadow were ever to be used, this world might once more be turned into one of war and conflict."

" _ **Wait, did you say…nightmares in physical form?"**_

"Indeed. The Fused Shadow is a sort of link between the world of dreams and the world we're in now. And am I right in saying that _you_ want a physical form?"

" _ **That is all we want. We tried to convince our creator to allow us access to her mind, but she refused, and without her consent I'm nothing! Just another dream to eventually fade away! I NEED to become real! But that stubborn girl refuses to give that to me! What's wrong with her!?"**_

After listening to Dethl's outburst, a sly grin formed on Veran's lips. Sensing a valuable opportunity, the fairy suggested "My, my, isn't this perfect? I think we could be of great assistance to each other, little one. You want a physical form, I want the Fused Shadow, and I see a way we can both get what we want."

Dethl calmed down immediately after hearing that and mused _**"We're listening…"**_

"I can use my magic to sustain your existence beyond your short life span, and during that time, I can share my expertise. You see, I've made a living out of manipulating others for decades, and I think you could use that knowledge if you want to convince Duelia to open up to you. But…in exchange for my help, I want you to find the Fused Shadow and unleash its dark powers on this world. Does that exchange sound fair to you, little one?"

Dethl flew out of Veran's grip and gave her some distance while she pondered over the consequences of agreeing to something like this. And after thinking it through, the nightmare changed to end of her tail to transform into the shape of a four-fingered hand and reached it out to Veran.

The Great Fairy's grin widened even more as she reached her own hand out and answered Dethl's handshake, thus sealing the deal.

" _ **Then shall we begin?"**_

* * *

While all of that was going on above, Hylia was trying in vain to get some sleep in her room.

This was far from the first time she had problem sleeping, as she usually had just as many nightmares as Duelia had. But, this time, it was not the nightmares that kept her awake, it was concern.

Ever since Hylia was sent to this place Duelia had been her best (and only) friend. And even though she finally woke up after the botched ritual, Hylia couldn't stop worrying about her. She could hardly describe it, but she was having a very bad feeling about what happened, and something within her made her feel as if the problems Duelia were having were far from over.

Her thoughts were interrupted however when a light knocking came from her door.

Almost automatically, Hylia urged "Come in."

When the door promptly opened, Duelia gently tiptoed into the room in order to make as little sound as possible.

And when she had entered, she asked "Uhm…is this a bad time? I didn't want to wake you." while keeping her voice low.

Hylia gently sat up in her bed and faced her while answering "No, it's alright. I…couldn't sleep either."

After hearing that, Duelia walked over and sat down on the end of Hylia's bed.

They spent a moment or two in silence before Duelia asked "Is it those nightmares that are keeping you up?"

Hylia thought about that for a minute and answered "Mostly it's the nightmares, and…yeah, they're pretty bad."

"Do you want to talk about it? 'Bongo' said that could help."

"Okay…um. Mostly…I see death. I see houses burning, bones all over the ground, and worst of all…somehow, I don't know how, it's in a way…my fault. Guilt. That is what I feel. I know I'm responsible for something horrible, even though I don't know how or what."

"That must feel terrible."

"I agree. I guess the dreams are somewhat symbolic or something. All I want is to help others, and if…I hurt them like that, I don't know if…I could live with myself."

"That's a bit deeper than mine. All I dream about is being trapped in a world with no sun, and that's just because I'm afraid of the dark. But at least _your_ dreams aren't real…"

 _That_ caught Hylia's attention, and she immediately asked "What do you mean?"

"Just after you and Bongo left…something spoke to me, it looked like a small puff of smoke with these glowing red eyes, and it said its name was…Dethl…I think."

"Just to make sure, did this happen when you were dreaming or when you were awake?"

"I _think_ I was awake. Anyway, this…Dethl thing, it said it was a…manifestation of my dreams…whatever that means. It tried to convince me to…allow it into my mind."

"Did you?!"

"I said no, and when I did, it freaked out and left. It was almost as if it couldn't understand why I would refuse."

Hylia suddenly let out a breath she didn't even know she held at that answer. And after taking a second to think about that, she said "Good. I guess it would be a bad idea to just trust the word of a strange being that just appeared out of nowhere."

"That's what I thought too."

"So…are we going to tell 'Bongo' about this thing?"

Duelia absently looked up at the ceiling while thinking about that. She knew Arythma was the first person to talk to in these kinds of situations, and he was sure to keep reminding them about that fact. But…for some reason, and not one she actually understood, she didn't want him to know about the encounter.

With that thought in mind, she answered "No, I don't think we have to."

Hylia's expression soon turned to one of utter confusion while she asked "And why's that?"

"I just…don't want him to concern himself over this. You know how he gets when he's concerned about something. Also, I'm pretty sure I can handle Dethl if it tries to talk me into something again."

"Are you really sure about that?"

Duelia nodded and said "I'm sure. That little puff of smoke could hardly be much of a danger, I'm sure it cannot do much worse than try to talk to me. And I promise I won't listen to a word it says."

"I don't know. I got a bad feeling about this…" Hylia said with an unsure expression in her eyes.

"Don't worry. I'll be able to handle it." Duelia assured with a sense of pride.

However, unknown to them, someone had been eavesdropping on their conversation. Obscured by the shadows in a dark corner of the room, a pair of oval-shaped red eyes had been watching the two girls for some time.

And just before they vanished back into the darkness they came from, Dethl whispered _**"We'll see about that…"**_

* * *

 **Author Notes**

 **Okay, this chapter wasn't _that_ much longer than the last two, but I don't really know why they ended up so short, especially since some chapter in my last story could reach up to over 7 000 words. **

**And now I think all the main characters have been revealed so far, with Duelia, Dethl, Hylia, Arythma (Bongo), and now Veran being the major players.**

 **The inclusion of Veran may seem like an odd choice considering 'Oracle of Ages' takes place over two thousand years after this story, but since the Zelda universe seems to be filled with characters who are a lot older than they look and Veran would work really well with the story I'm going for, I just had to write her in.**

 **Oh, and in this story, she doesn't have blue skin, that's something she gets later.**


	4. Chapter 4: A Symphony for a Living Dream

**Chapter 4: A Symphony for a Living Dream**

The Temple of Dreams was located in a pristine and mostly untouched forest with long expanses of marchland caused by the extreme amount of humidity in the area. Rainstorms like the one that ravaged last night were very common around these parts. Most people tend to avoid these lands due to the humid environment, but far from all did.

As the first glints of the rising sun touched the sky, Veran was nonchalantly walking through the woods, her umbrella and purple cloak keeping her dry from the calm downpour of rain that wasn't nearly as intense as it was a few hours ago. Dethl was floating around her with far more sporadic movements than usual, thus hinting at her anxiety.

 _ **" _H_ ow much further is this place?!"**_ Dethl asked in an impatient tone.

Veran kept her euphoric calmness when she asked "Little one, have you ever heard about a little thing called patience?"

 _ **"** **We do not have time for that, the sun is about to rise. We don't know if you noticed, but beings such as us cannot survive the exposure of the sun's rays."**_

"It will still be another half-an-hour before the sun rises, and my abode isn't particularly far from here. And that, little one, is my first lesson in manipulation: patience."

If ethereal smoke beings could breathe, then Dethl would have released a large breath right now. But as she calmed herself, she asked _**"So then, what can you teach us about patience?"**_

"Suggestions are like little seeds, they need time to grow. You cannot expect someone to follow your ideas as soon as they hear them, do you? No, they must consider them carefully, they need to weigh all the benefits and drawbacks of your offer, and if you were convincing enough the first time, they will realise that your offer is in their best interest. If you appear too impatient, then they will most likely be suspicious of your _generous_ offer."

Dethl took that information to heart. Maybe she had been too impatient and eager when she was trying to convince Duelia, and maybe that was a contributing factor to her refusal. Still, Dethl also knew that it might not have been a complete failure. With the offer laid out, a little patience might be all she needed to see her plan through.

Eventually, the two of them reached a larger than average tree standing tall in the middle of the forest. At first, Dethl was about to write it off as just another barked plant, but that changed when Veran gently put her hand on the tree's bark. For when she did, several glowing purple runes formed into the shape of a door on the side of the tree, thus making Dethl's eyes open wide in surprise.

The magical door then open inwards while Veran encouraged "Now, do come in if you please."

Dethl carefully examined this new open doorway in apprehension before her curiosity got the better of her. She then slowly flew inside the darkened room inside the tree.

In a twist of fate, the sun shone its first rays of the day the moment Dethl entered the darkness of Veran's abode, which meant that, had they wasted just a few seconds more, the nightmare would have surely burnt up and died within seconds. Realising how perfectly she had timed it, Veran let out a satisfied smile to the morning sun before following Dethl inside and closing the door behind her.

The moment the Great Fairy stepped inside, the entire room lit up as several candles with multi-coloured flames all lit up simultaneously. And with the added lighting, Dethl could clearly make out the details of the room.

It was not particularly spacious at all (though that was understandable given that it fit inside a tree), but it was far from empty. Books upon books lay in piles all over the place and several glass jars containing everything from salamander eyes to death cap mushrooms were placed on every single surface that wasn't the floor, like benches and tables. Somewhat out of place though was a single violin sitting in one of the corners.

After taking the place in, Dethl asked _**"So…you live…in a tree? Like this?"**_

"It's not a _permanent_ residence…but it will do for now." Veran answered.

The fairy then slipped off her cloak and tossed it on a nearby chair, revealed her to be wearing an attire that left very little to the imagination. Only her breasts and bottom were completely covered by actual clothing, while the rest of her body was covered in what looked to be pink vines. She was even barefooted. Her orange hair was also revealed to bend like a crescent moon at her back, almost to reflect the bang that covered almost half of her face.

With her less than modest appearance revealed, Veran said "Forgive my vainness, little one. Like most fairies, I'm most comfortable wearing as little clothing as possible."

Dethl simply stared at her companion blankly for a moment until she asked _**"What are you talking about?"**_

Veran took a seat in a chair and let out an amused giggle before asking "Really, have no one ever told you about the birds and the bees?"

 _ **"** **Now you are making even less sense."**_

"That's just…sad. Though considering all of your memories hail from the mind of a child, I guess that can't be too unexpected. _That_ however, is another thing you should learn about humans, and when it comes to manipulating them. They may claim they desire all sorts of things, but they are ruled by their stupid sex drive. I've heard time and time again that my body is something to be desired, and that my clothing, or rather lack thereof, is only increasing the effect. Most men, and a few women interestingly enough, are usually unable to form a coherent thought in their little minds when they see me. And false promises of a certain…reward can work well in my favour. Though honestly, anyone who thinks that they can have their way with me is deluding themselves."

 _ **"** **Oh, you mean**_ **that** _ **thing. We actually have heard about that quite a lot. It's just that you worded it strangely."**_

"Wait, you know about that? Why?"

 _ **"** **The Dream Sages routinely enter the dreams of people all over the world, and can you guess what those people tend to be dreaming about?"**_

Veran looked like she was about to throw up for a second when she let out a disgusted gag noise and declared "Ughh…humans are disgusting if that is all they can think to dream about."

 _ **"** **No, not all of them, and not always. But…it is pretty common."**_

"No wonder why they're all so desperate. Good thing we fairies don't have to be dominated by some icky hormones telling us to defile ourselves."

 _ **"** **You don't? Then…if you don't…do that, then how do you give birth to new fairies?"**_

Veran looked at Dethl with a deadpan look before she couldn't stop herself from laughing like a madwoman "Ahah haha ahahahahahahahahahahahaah! You…haha…you don't know anything about fairies, do you? Silly nightmare, fairies aren't born, we're created."

 _ **"** **Created? By who?"**_

"By the Fairy Queen of course. Have you heard about her at least?"

 _ **"** **No."**_

"Well, aren't you precious? But let me humour you with the details. Now, the ancient Fairy Queen is a figure wrapped up in mystery. Not even I know how she came to be, but she is known to be far, far older than she looks. And by the way, she looks like a young girl, or…that's at least the form she likes to take to make herself seem more innocent. I've heard some bizarre rumours though. Some say that she arrived to this world via a ball of fire that came from the sky, while others claim she is the physical manifestation of mother earth herself. Nevertheless, she is the one who handmade every single one of the fairies in this world."

 _ **"** **For what purpose?"**_

"That is an excellent question, and I don't even know that for sure either. She has a weird fixation with talking about us as we're her toys, her…dolls. It's really quite disturbing. But…we are all created for a purpose. To bless humans with our gifts, to keep the balance of nature from being disrupted, or in my case, cause conflict to balance out the peace. And because we are all created by her, we are unable to give birth to new fairies and therefore have no need of this…sex…humans are so obsessed over."

 _ **"** **We suppose we don't have any such desires either, at least in this form. How much things will change when we become one with Duelia is…unknown, but curiosity is a powerful thing. Our existence in this state is…wrong somehow, like we're…not whole."**_

Veran rose from her chair and assured "Do not worry yourself over that, my friend. A life in this plain of existence will be with you shortly. Oh, and speaking of which…"

She then picked up a vial of some kind of glowing rainbow-coloured powder and poured some of its content all over Dethl's smoke-like form without permission, thus prompting her to ask _**"What are you doing?!"**_

The fairy simply put the cork back on the vial and put it back where she took it before explaining "Fairy Dust. It will keep you from fading into nothingness for a while longer. Make no mistake, though, this is just a temporary solution. If you want to live forever, then you need Duelia's body."

By the time Veran had finished explaining Dethl could feel the powder affecting her, strengthening the magic within her.

 _ **"** **Oh. Well then…how about we discuss how we're going to accomplish that?"**_

"We might. So what's your plan?"

" _ **Somehow we're going to convince Duelia to let us into her mind, and the moment we're fully merged, we assume direct control over her entire essence, putting her to eternal sleep in the process."**_

Veran gave three slow claps while keeping that same smug grin while she commented "Good plan in its simplicity. With my advice, Duelia will be in your hands in no time…if you actually had hands."

 _ **"Hey!"**_

Veran's tone suddenly became uncharacteristically serious when she reminded "But don't forget our arrangement. I _want_ that Fused Shadow, and if you back out of this after I help you, I will rip your slippery little nightmare essence right out of Duelia's body and annihilate your soul."

Dethl backed away slightly at the sudden unexpected death threat, but recovered quickly enough to ask _**"Now we're getting curious. What is your interest in the Fused Shadow? What do you want to use it for?"**_

"The Fused Shadow is nothing but a need to an end, but it will be…necessary. In truth, I'm really after something much, much more powerful, and much more important. But that certain something is protected by a group of extremely powerful beings whose wrath isn't something I'd want to face alone. However, the Fused Shadow will give me the power necessary to get passed them."

 _ **"** **And what, pray tell, is this thing you're after?"**_

Veran sat back in the same chair again and answered "There will be time to discuss that later. For now, would you like to hear one of my symphonies?"

 _ **"** ** _Y_ ou mean…like music? Well, I suppose I could."**_

The fairy nodded at that answer before she picked up the violin in the corner and gently put the bow on the strings. Then, she closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and started to play.

The music that Veran's violin gave out was a harmonious tone that was clearly played by an experienced musician. It held a certain feeling of both timelessness and conflict, and Dethl couldn't help but finding it beautiful. Having very fond memories of 'Bongo' playing on his drums during the sages' rituals, Dethl admitted to having a certain fondness for music, even if Veran's graceful violin playing far exceeded 'Bongo's' drumbeat. And as she got caught up in the song, she slowly closed her eyes and allowed the music to calm her cursed soul.

* * *

Back in the temple, Arythma was meditating on the floor of his office while allowing the warm rays of the sun shine on his skin from a window on his right. Being an experienced sage, Arythma had learned long ago how to clear his mind and find a state of inner peace. However, the only way he knew to calm his raging mind was to play on his twin set of bongo drums.

Even now the constant rhythm of his drums echoed through the room as he was looking for his centre, but also to free himself from his inner pain. Like all sages, he was inducted at a very young age as an orphan, and like all the others, he had many sad and painful memories from his past. The constant nightmares his magic gave him every night didn't make it any easier either. Only the beat of his drums had the power to break through the agony he hid under the surface.

Suddenly, a knock on the door broke his concentration, and he opened his eyes and stopped drumming shortly after.

"Enter." He prompted to the person disturbing his peace and quiet.

Hylia revealed herself to be that person when she opened the door and gently leaned her head inside before she asked "Is this a bad time?"

Arythma cryptically answered "Time is a concept, is there truly a part of it that's bad or good?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind. No, I am always prepared to handle whatever issues you may be having. Come in, take a seat and tell me what is troubling you."

The blonde girl proceeded to doing just that, and when she had sat down cross-legged on the soft carpet on the floor, she began "I've been wondering…"

Arythma didn't wait for her to finish and quipped "So have I. So have you been wondering about anything in particular?"

"Well, about dreams…"

"What about them?"

"Can you stop that!?"

"Stop what?"

"Just…let me finish, okay."

"Sorry, I'm listening."

"I'm just wondering if they can…you know…live? If they can talk or things like that?"

Arythma's face changed abruptly from one of amused interest to one of concern, and his one functional eye focused on her with clear signs of worry.

"Why are you asking me of this?"

Hylia noticed his reaction to her question, and it instantly made her uneasy. The sudden change in tone made the girl a little bit more hesitant when she answered "I'm just…curious, some of the other sages were talking about it and…why, is there something wrong with asking that?"

Arythma let out a deep sigh before he explained "I was just worried that you had spoken to one. Thank goodness you hadn't."

"What's so wrong about talking to them?"

"Living dreams are dangerous, far more dangerous than you would believe. They can only awaken into living beings through bizarre circumstances, often (but not limited to) through dream magic gone wrong. They are based on the mind of someone they had imprinted, and will possess all of the memories and emotions of that person. However, without a vessel to inhabit they can only survive for a week at best, and will die instantly if they are caught in the sun's rays. The problem with these beings is that they can sustain their own existence by entering the mind of the person who spawned them."

"And that would be bad?"

"If a dream manages to get into your mind, _it_ will be the one in control, not you. Your body would be nothing but a puppet for the dream to use as it pleases. And if the dream just so happened to be a nightmare, who knows just what it might do after obtaining a physical form. Luckily, a dream cannot enter the mind of someone who is unwilling, which is why they usually try to sway them with their poisonous words or false promises."

"So what you're saying is that they need to persuade someone into allowing them into your mind to take over you? Then that means as long as you refuse you are safe."

"Well yes, I suppose. But never underestimate just how far they would go to get what they want, remember that they will die if they don't get it. And there is hardly any motivation that is stronger than self-preservation, even for living dreams."

"That's good to know if I ever meet one of those…which I haven't by the way."

Arythma noticed that Hylia seemed a tad suspicious when she said that, and it prompted him to ask "Are you sure there is no other particular reason you are asking this of me?"

Hylia suddenly got back on her feet and lied "No, not at all, I was just curious. Well, thanks for the information, bye!"

And just like that, she had left the room before he could say anything else. As a man who could see the truth, Arythma could tell that she was hiding something from him. But he could not for the life of him figure out just what that was.

He decided that going back to his meditation could make the answer to that clear, as well as rid his mind of worry. So he began to once again play on his drum while closing his eyes.

* * *

' _Gazing back on the records of time, I now recollect that Dethl wasn't the only living dream that has caused devastation throughout the course of history._

 _A few hundred years after Dethl's creation, a new living nightmare was given life. However, unlike Dethl, this one did not manifest inside the mind of a person, but rather inside an enchanted mask._

 _There was once a man whose name not even I am knowledgeable of, but he was miserable. Haunted by nightmares every instance he tried to sleep, and frightened out of his skin every time he was awake, the man sought out anything he could to rid himself of his torment._

 _Eventually, the man crafted two separate masks made out of the rare magical wood of the trees of the lost woods. The masks were known as the Happy Mask and the Mask of Misery respectively._

 _By wearing the forever smiling Happy Mask on his face, he finally achieved unconditional happiness no matter what happened misery befell him. After wearing it and not once removing it for several years, the mask became his face, forming an eternal smile on it._

 _However, none of this was without a cost, for the Happy Mask didn't just dispel the dark thoughts from him, it stored them in the Mask of Misery. And as more and more miserable and dark thoughts were filled in the mask, the thoughts became more and more sentient. Eventually, a living nightmare of pure evil was created inside the mask, a nightmare that called itself…Majora._

 _Majora was the physical embodiment of misery itself, as it simply did not understand anything else. And as more and more misery manifested in the mask, the more power it began to possess. Eventually, Majora gained complete control over the mask it embodied and became an eldritch horror unlike any other, spreading misery and sorrow to all that were unfortunately to cross paths with its unblinking yellow eyes._

 _Anyone and everyone that were caught in Majora's ravenous rampage suffered a terrible fate, no matter who they happened to be._

 _It took the intervention of the dark ruler of Termina, the Fierce Deity, to finally seal the abomination into the mask that created it, and even so at the cost of his own life. And yet, Majora was only sealed, not destroyed._

 _All it requires is the wrong person at the wrong time and the dark powers of Majora could one day consume absolutely everything…including the entirety of the world._

* * *

 **Author Notes**

 **Yes, I placed the Historian's monologue at the end rather than the beginning, but that was just because it fit better there. I might do that from time to time if the situation calls for it.**

 **And yes, I made him explain the story of Majora's creation, mostly so that it would be explained in this series but I wouldn't have to write an entire story about it. That said, I really don't know what to write in the one I'm going to devote to Ganondorf, since to be honest, I've never really been a big fan of him. If you have any ideas I can implement in a Ganon origin story, please share those with me and I will take your advice into account.**

 **Also, I have Deviantart account called 'Reptileman778', and on it I have uploaded a poster for this Fanfiction series as well as a picture of all the main characters in this particular story, including Veran, Hylia, Duelia, Dethl, Arythma and an original character that hasn't appeared yet.**

 **One more thing to note, I just got an account on 'Archive of Our Own' and has uploaded this story there as well. (My username is Flufux on that site too)**


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